What do you all use for marking unfinished veg tan?

[Yukonrookie]

So, I know this is a super basic question but have been wondering on this for awhile. To mark my leather when I do layouts and nearly where what goes I usually use a simple metal scribe. That works great obviously, but my sight isn’t the greatest and I sometimes need markings and lines too noticeable so that they’ll still show at the end. In that case I use one of those silver marking pens especially meant for marking leather. Thing is that they are not really supposed to be used on unfinished veg tan. What do you guys use for marking your veg tan leather projects? 
 

Thanks

Hank

[DieselTech]

I'm probably wrong as heck, & I am sure someone will cuss me out for saying this. 

But I use a fine ball point pen with black ink, when I trace my pattern to be cut from a side of leather. 

Time you cut your project out & then bevel/edge the sides, you cut the ink trace lines off when round you edges with a edger. 

Also I use multiple ways of marking, depending on the job I am getting ready to perform. 

[Herbie]

I use a Kimberly brand pencil hardness 8B (which is pretty soft), seems to work ok.  I can erase the occasional errant line.

Don Gonzales Saddlery sells them as well as Hobby Lobby, Amazon etc.

Nothing wrong with DieselTechs idea either, at least not that I am aware of.

[fredk]

I do the same as DieselTech

[Littlef]

I always just use an awl.  But I have a little led lamp with a long gooseneck.  I bend the neck to shine light low and across the scribe line.  That makes a little shadow form in the valley of the scribe.  The shadow makes it very noticeable.    Laying  a little flashlight on the leather would give the same result.  

[Yukonrookie]

Right on. Seems like no one uses those silver leather pens. Thanks everyone. 

[fredk]

I use the Tandy silver pens and white correction pens on dyed leather

[Yukonrookie]

I’m gonna try a soft pencil like @Herbie uses. I’m sure any pencil with 8b hardness should be fine, right? Or is there anything special about the Kimberly brand? 

[BlackDragon]

Depending on the application I use either 7B-9B pencils, an awl, or a silver pen.

The pencils I use on unfinished vegtan because like you I have difficulty seeing the mark with an awl

An awl or silver pen on finished leather. Silver is easier to see on black.

On the flesh side I use either an awl or silver pen

[Yukonrookie]

19 hours ago, BlackDragon said:

Depending on the application I use either 7B-9B pencils, an awl, or a silver pen.

The pencils I use on unfinished vegtan because like you I have difficulty seeing the mark with an awl

An awl or silver pen on finished leather. Silver is easier to see on black.

On the flesh side I use either an awl or silver pen

Thank you. I just got me an 8b and 9b. Gonna try it out later on today. I’m working on a sheath and gonna mark the positioning of a fairly large Moose head stamp that I got from Sergey Neskromny. 

[BlackDragon]

Just to be clear don't draw on the leather where a person will see the marks. Draw on paper, tracing velum would be best, then align the paper where you want it and use something; a stylus or pencil, to trace the image onto the leather

[AlZilla]

How about marking on the suede side instead of the finished side?

[chuck123wapati]

I use a small round awl quite often just to mark starting points for stitch lines or holes and such, just a tiny mark in places or edges that will be removed or hidden. Pencil for tracing on the hidden side of the piece.

[Yukonrookie]

18 hours ago, BlackDragon said:

Just to be clear don't draw on the leather where a person will see the marks. Draw on paper, tracing velum would be best, then align the paper where you want it and use something; a stylus or pencil, to trace the image onto the leather

Makes total sense now…… Duh….. Not sure why that didn’t dawn on me when I already have been using tracing paper, even tracing foil, for transferring carving patterns. Thank you. 

[fredk]

If you use a round point stylus on the paper over damped leather you'll get a better impression

[JDFred]

I’m pretty heavy handed when writing so I like a 12b pencil.

[Yukonrookie]

Ended up ordering a couple pencils 9b to 12b. Thanks for all the replies folks!